Earlier this week Sundar Pichai warned us not to expect Google I/O 2013 to be anything like we’ve seen in the past. There would be less in the way of new products or a new operating system. Instead, the I/O 2013 Developer’s Conference would focus on, well – developers. How right he was.

I/O 2012 saw the introduction of the Nexus Q and Nexus 7. It had an exciting Google Glass skydiving demo. Then there was the announcement of Google Now and further detailing of the (then) new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Google also updated Google+ with Calendar integrations, and introduced the Google Compute Engine as an infrastructure-as-a-service that enabled customers to spin up Linux virtual machines with high-performance networking.

Lastly, Google unveiled its Android Studio. The new developer tool is designed to make life easier for developers, which might not affect everyday users in the short-term, but in the long-term it means better apps.

That’s a whole lot of software and services shown off at Google IO 2013, where’s the hardware?

In many ways this was a calmer I/O than seen in previous years. But is that a bad thing?

The deeper impact of Google I/O 2013

I would have loved a slightly updated Nexus 4, a new Nexus 7, the X-Phone, a smartwatch and a new version of Android. But to be honest, I was very impressed with this year’s keynote.

Last year’s I/O saw some great announcements, but I/O 2013 really hit one out of the park. Google’s keynote didn’t rely on new hardware or Android versions to excite the masses – instead it laid the groundwork for a better Google and a better future. Just about everything we saw at I/O 2013 screamed of polish and nearly every announcement will have long-term impact on both developers and everyday Google users.

I was practically on the edge of my seat when I saw the improvements to search for Google Chrome on the desktop, and started thinking about how these kinds of natural and smart voice systems could effectively change the landscape of search as we know it. Ditto for the improvements to Maps.

While I might not be a developer (my programming knowledge goes about as far as old-school versions of Basic and HTML…), I can appreciate the impact that Android Studio will have, especially when it comes to allowing developers to see how their apps will look across a variety of different devices and screen sizes.

Maybe it’s just me, but I really walked away with a sense that this is just the beginning of a bigger plan.

Most of the services announced were cross-platform when possible (Hangouts, Search, etc), and worked to give a similar experience regardless on what kind of device you are using it on, such as Google Search on iOS, desktop, Android.

I think that convergence and cross-platform interoperability will continue to be an important focus for the mobile tech industry in the years to come. It’s great to see Google getting onboard with these changes early, and unlike Microsoft with their Windows 8, the Mountain View giant seems to be making all the right moves.

Another key focus for Google seems to revolve around data, and how they will more effectively use it going forward. Obviously data has always been an important driver for Google, but what we are now seeing is a much ‘smarter’ system that can preemptively figure out what you want to search/ask about, auto-tag your social posts and more. We are just at the beginning of seeing where that can take us. Putting aside Big Brother-esque fears and privacy concerns, I think that the road to smarter data and information usage will have a positive long-term effect.

The stage is set, now we just need to see where Google takes us throughout the year, and into the future. What did you think of Google I/O 2013, compared to last year? Do you agree that this year’s focus is about laying the groundwork for a better future? Conversely, do you think Google dropped the ball this year?

]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/google-io-2013-vs-2012-211302/feed/4Tickets for Google I/O 2013 available soon, event scheduled for May 15-17http://www.androidauthority.com/google-io-2013-scheduled-for-may-136562/
http://www.androidauthority.com/google-io-2013-scheduled-for-may-136562/#commentsWed, 05 Dec 2012 06:30:03 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=136562
The comparison can be made that Google I/O is to tech fans what Comic Con is to comic fans. The yearly event always has some unique Google tech revealed and it’s usually something that gets talked about for the rest of the year. The next Google I/O has officially been scheduled.

As the pictured tweet above says, Google I/O 2013 will take place May 15 through May 17. As Slashgear points out, Google is going back to their usual May scheduling. The 2012 Google I/O was held in June.

The highlights will be whatever new Nexus devices Google will be releasing next year. It’s been a yearly routine to announce and show off new Nexus devices and Google I/O 2013 shouldn’t be any different. So if you’re waiting to hear about the next Nexus, plan for May.

When will tickets for Google I/O 2013 be available?

Registration for tickets typically start months before the event itself. There hasn’t been an exact date specified, but it can be safely assumed that it’ll be well before the event itself.

Outside of the official announcement, there isn’t much info about Google I/O 2013. That is not surprising, considering the event is still six months away. Usually, you’d go to the Google I/O official website for updates. For now, visitors will be treated to a few videos from Google I/O 2012. Mostly it’s presentations about popular products like Android and Google Glasses.

2012 was an amazing year for Google technology and 2013 is looking to be just as impressive and amazing. Is anyone excited about Google I/O 2013? Let us know what you hope to see there.

Is it time for smartwatches yet? And are smartwatches something that the mass-market will be interested in?

This is a question that Pebble, Sony, Motorola and others are trying to answer. So far, the Pebble smartwatch has got a lot of attention, being the biggest project on Kickstarter ever. The figures speak for themselves – $10 million raised within a month (way beyond the initial $100,000 target) and 85,000 pre-orders.

The difference between Pebble and Sony’s Smartwatch is Sony is trying to cram the full Android experience into a 1.5-inch screen. But you can’t really enjoy playing Angry Birds on such a small screen, even though Sony has demoed that. Pebble takes a different direction and, instead of trying to replace your smartphone, they are focusing on creating more of a companion to your smartphone.

By using Bluetooth 4.0, the Pebble smartwatch can notify you about text messages, Twitter updates, e-mail messages, weather alerts, and and so on. You can also get a ton of customizable clock skins, and a whole lot more.

Ultimately, the success of the Pebble might depend on developers, and so far, it seems that many developers are interested in developing for the smartwatch. This is why the Pebble team is hurrying up to finish their SDK for Android and iPhone, months ahead of the release of the smartwatch.

At Google I/O last week, the Pebble guys launched the Android SDK with more advanced APIs that should let developers do a lot of cool stuff with the E-ink watch. The Pebble team thinks that, initially, the watch will be very popular with people who are into sports and outdoor activities, as there will be many apps that are targeted in that specific area. Plus, one of the main attractions about the Pebble smartwatch is that it’s waterproof so you can even go swimming with it, or use it in the rain without worrying about damaging it. Take a look at the video below for an interview with the founder of Pebble.

Day 1 of Google I/O featured all the “cool” announcements, with the introduction of Android 4.1 Jellybean, the Google Nexus 7 tablet, and the Nexus Q. The long keynote ended with a live demo of Google Glasses, which included skydivers jumping of a blimp. So, how do you top that?

By showing a behind-the-scenes look at how the live demo of “Project Glass” was put together. That’s how the keynote address of Day 2 ended, but not before a slew of announcements and information was discussed. This time, the keynote was focused more on the software side of things, which included various Google applications such as Chrome, Google Drive, Gmail, etc. Here are some of the highlights.

Google Chrome: Starting off with Chrome, Sundar Pichai, SVP of Chrome and Apps, announced that Chrome has over 310 million users, making it the most popular browser in the world. Following that was the announcement of the availability of Chrome for the iPhone and iPad.

Google Drive: There were a lot of statistics (10 million signups) and uses (image recognition technology) discussed. This was again followed by the announcement of the launch of Drive for iOS.

ChromeBook: Continuous and regular updates promised for the Chrome OS. Chromebooks will also now be available in-stores at Best Buy, and will reach other retailers later this year.

Compute Engine: One of the final announcements were about “Compute Engine,” expected to be in direct competition with Amazon’s Elastic Cloud Compute and Microsoft’s Azure. Compute Engine is a service that will allow you to run Linux Virtual Machines on the same infrastructure on which Google is based. Didn’t make much sense to me, but should be great for developers.

You can watch a video of the keynote from Day 2 of Google I/O here. Only if you have an extra hour and twenty minutes that is. Don’t forget to catch the behind-the-scenes footage of the live Google Glasses demo, at the end of the video.

Today, the Google Glass team announced on Google Plus (where else?) a new way for us to get insight into Sergey Brin’s pet futuristic project, which many of those who experienced it firsthand call the future.

No, the new Glass Sessions project doesn’t involve skydiving, rappelling or other form of extreme sports, at least for now. It’s just a way to show how the Glass “helps you share your life as you’re living it; from life’s big moments to everyday experiences”.

The two minutes video shows Laetitia using the Google Glasses to capture all the little moments that make parenting so wonderful. You know, good old fashioned family time. No helicopters or mountain-bikes, but still well worth watching.

The keynote address on Day 2 of Google I/O was another interesting, information-filled presentation, ending with a behind-the-scenes look at the Project Glass demo from Day 1. During the keynote, Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President of Chrome and Apps, announced that Gmail currently has around 425 million users.

Gmail, Google’s cloud-based email client, was first launched back in 2004 and we’ve seen Google applications grow and expand further, to include the most-recently launched Google Drive. As explained by Sundar, “hundreds of millions of people have gone Google.”

He goes on to add that, apart from individuals, there is also an increasing trend of many businesses “going Google.” So far, governmental agencies in 45 states in the US, 66 out of the top 100 universities in the US, and over 5 million businesses have use Gmail and other Google applications. Included in the 5 million businesses are big industry names such as Roche, KLM, Virgin America, and State Bank of India, amongst others.

Considering the fact that Gmail had “only” 350 million active users back in January, we are looking at a growth of a little less than 15 million users per month, and this number is expected to keep growing at a steady rate.

On a side note, anyone noticed that it looks like Google will be changing the logo of Gmail as well (see screenshot above)?

What are your thoughts? Are you a part of the 425 million? Do you primarily use Gmail as a personal account or for work as well (or both)? Let us know in the comments section below.

We’ll recap Google I/O 2012 by hitting the Jellybean feature list, give a run down on the Nexus 7 and the Nexus Q. We’ll look into Drive, Maps, Google+ and Chrome and whatever announcements come out of IO today!

Lost your invitation to Google I/O conference? Fret not fellow Android enthusiasts, because you can now watch video of the conference’s first day keynote online right from your parents’ basement. The first day of the conference, of course, was when all the cool announcements were made. One by one, Google executives did their thing to enthrall the 6,000 something audience. And we dare say they did an excellent job at keeping the event exciting throughout.

Here are some highlights of what happened on day 1 (not necessarily in the right order):

The new Google Nexus 7 tablet, running the freshly-announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, will be, without doubt, one of the highlights of this summer in the technology world. The 7-inch device costs just $199 in its basic configuration and proves that great technology does not have to cost you an arm and a leg.

With the Nexus 7, Google makes a stand against both the iPad, the still undisputed champion of the tablet market, and the Amazon Kindle Fire, the cheap 7-inch device running a forked version of Android that many analysts consider the primary threat to Google’s blossoming Android ecosystem.

To compete with the two stalwarts of the tablet world, Google needed to pack into the Nexus 7 the best specs, all while keeping costs in check. One such spec is NFC support, which enables innovative features like Android Beam, instant Bluetooth pairing, or mobile payments. Like many recent high-end devices, the Nexus 7 incorporates a NFC chip manufactured by NXP Semiconductors.

Based in the Netherlands, but having a network of R&D centers in 19 locations around the world, NXP Semiconductors (a former division of Dutch electronics giant Philips) was one of the original creators of the NFC standard and currently owns over 11,000 patents. We’ve sat with Jeff Miles, Vice President of Mobile Transactions at NXP, to discuss how NFC is put to use in the new Nexus 7 and about the promising future of NFC mobile applications. Here’s the quick interview.

What was it like to work with the Google Nexus Team?

NXP enjoyed working with the Google Nexus Team on the Nexus 7. Just like the Nexus-branded smartphones and now, with this tablet, the team continues to bring innovative mobile technology to its users using NFC technology from NXP.

Do you forsee NFC being a fundamental element of tablet computing granted tablets larger form factor?

The availability of mobile NFC devices has seen tremendous growth worldwide. Whether it be a smart phone or a Nexus 7 tablet, NFC technology continues to land in more and more consumer’s hands, enabling richer experiences throughout their day. NXP continues to be the leader in driving the NFC ecosystem and NFC adoption.

In what ways do you see NFC being used on the Nexus 7?

NXP’s NFC solution, the PN65, fully supports NFC functionality enabling use cases and applications such as Android Beam and Bluetooth pairing. In addition, users are able to share web pages, videos, and directions just by tapping two NFC-enabled devices together.

What does the future hold with regards to NFC technology? Any revisions to the hardware side of things?

NXP continues to grow the NFC ecosystem and NFC adoption. NXP now brings NFC to other mobile devices like the Nexus 7, enabling OEMs to bring NFC user experiences and convenience to end consumers beyond just smart phones. For NFC developers, the NFC enabled tablet allows developers to experiment with new use cases and continue to leverage existing ecosystem. We expect to continue to deliver enhanced performance and security that will enrich the user experience.

How many devices will have NFC on board by the end of 2012? 2013? And beyond?

We cannot comment on how many mobile devices will feature NXP’s NFC technology by the close of 2012 and beyond, however NXP continues to grow the NFC ecosystem and NFC adoption.

After smart phones, NXP now brings NFC to other mobile devices based on Android OS, thus expanding NXP’s NFC market opportunity and enabling OEMs to bringing NFC user experiences and convenience to end consumers. Currently you can find NXP’s NFC solution featured on two Google Nexus phones including the Google Nexus S. You will also see an increase in the number of devices like POS terminals, Laptops and other devices that will act as readers to interact with NFC phones and tablets.

In what ways did NXP and the Google Nexus team work to make the software side of using NFC technology an intuitive, seamless experience?

The next iteration of the Android operating system (Jelly Bean) includes NXP’s NFC open source software stack, making it easier for OEMs and application developers to bring NFC devices and services to market. This means those in the mobile ecosystem from equipment manufacturers to Android app developers will be able to capitalize on user demand for contactless services on devices in a more efficient and timely manner.

NFC is certainly here to stay, and companies like NXP work hard to ensure that the technology delivers on its promise. We can certainly imagine a future where NFC-equipped devices replace items we now consider indispensable, like our wallets or car keys. How do you see NFC being used on the Nexus 7? Let us know if the comments section below!

The Android Platform Developer’s Kit (PDK) is the hardware equivalent of an SDK for manufacturers. Usually SDK’s are released months ahead of the product launch because the company wants 3rd party developers to make as many apps as possible for their OS or product, that should be available in the day of the launch or soon after that, depending on how complex their apps are.

In a similar way the PDK is supposed to help manufacturers make devices for the latest version of Android before that version of Android actually launches. This means that, theoretically, manufacturers should be able to release or upgrade many more phones in the same time with the latest version of Android, instead of waiting 2 months for a minor update like Gingerbread, or at least 6 months for a major one like ICS.

A couple of months ago we heard that Google is planning to launch Android 5.0 in Q3 with five OEM’s at once, and this PDK seems to match that very well. If these 5 OEM’s are getting the PDK right now, we’re basically 4-5 months away from Android 5.0 launch. This means that these manufacturers might be already working on those Nexus devices with Android 5.0.

Of course, the PDK should help them speed up the development for Android 4.1 as well. However, since JB is already very close to launch, it probably won’t help that much. The good news is that it’s not that big of an upgrade, so we shouldn’t be waiting as much as we did for ICS upgrades. But let’s hope this PDK is just one of many more steps that Google will take in the near future to try to reduce the fragmentation issue.

Another step that I think will go great with the PDK program is releasing only one major version of Android per year, with all the new features bundled into that version. This way they can work 9 months to prepare all the features and whatnot, and then have the version in “preview” or in “beta” for manufacturers, and give them 3 months to port that version to many of their new and old devices. Then after the 12 months have passed, Google can announce and release the new version into the wild, and manufacturers can come out with the new devices with the latest version, as well as with upgrades for at least some of their older ones.

This should happen at Google I/O because it’s their biggest event of the year, the most professional one, and it’s the one where they can hand out a lot of those devices to developers, so they can build apps for the new version of Android. I’ve never really liked their fall or winter (Honeycomb) events, because they last like 3 minutes, they are in some forsaken place where reporters don’t even want to go, and the event ends up appearing as if it was built by amateurs, which might leave an underwhelming sense for the new Android version.

But I’m sure there are many more ways for Google to try to fix the fragmentation problem, and this is just another suggestion. If they released one major version per year, users wouldn’t be 2 versions behind by the time another one is released, and manufacturers would have a lot more time to upgrade more of their devices. This would also be very good news for developers who want to take advantage of some of the latest API’s.